Electric umbrella.



Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET h F. W. SMITHING.

ELECTRIC UMBRELLA. APPLICATiON FILED JUNE 2?, 19:0.

F. W. SMITHING.

ELECTRIC UMBRELLA.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27. 1910 Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FEET. 11-

Hli 1 FRANK W. SMITHING, 0F ONTONAGON, MICHIGAN.

ELECTRIC UMBRELLA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. as, rain.

Application filed. June 27, 1910. Serial No. 569,118.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. SMITH- ING, a citizen of the United States, residing Ontonagon, in the county of Ontonagon, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Umbrellas; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to umbrellas designedfor use by marching clubs, in theaters, and by pedestrians whose duties compel them to traverse dark alleys and the like.

The invention contemplates providing a bulls-eye electric lamp in the end of the hen die and miniature incandescent lamps at the free ends of the ribs and handle tip, these lamps being actuated by a single battery and the bulls-eye lamp being capable of independent use.

With the above objects in view, the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be made in the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawlngs forming part of this specification: Figure l is a side elevation of an umbrella constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View through the handle portion of the umbrella stick.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 33, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 44@, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 55, Fig. 2 with portions broken away.

The reference character 10 designates the umbrella stick, this stick being hollow and being provided at. its lower end with an exteriorly threaded collar 11. A. cylindrical casing 12 is provided in its bore with threads to receive the threaded collar and is formed of metal. The casing houses a battery cell 13, the zinc wall of which snugly engages the inner wall of the casing so that the casing forms one pole of the battery. Ar-

ranged within the casing is a lug H which engages the end wall of the battery and holds the latter snugly in engagement with the stick collar 11 so as to prevent rattling of the battery within the casing.

Arranged withln the casing is a parabolic reflector 15 having a peripheral flange 16 which engages the free end wall of the casing and s centrally provided with a thread ed opening 17 which engages the threaded metal socket 18 of a miniature incandescent lamp 19, this lamp preferably being arranged at the focus of the reflector as usual to permit of the luminous rays being reflected forwardly in parallel lines. lhe central pole 20 of this lamp is connected to the carbon pole 21 of the battery by means of a connector which is intercepted by a push button as will presently be described.

A lens 22 bears with its fiat face against the peripheral flange of the reflector and is provided circumferentially with a beveled edge 23 against which the beveled inner wall 24 of a sleeve 25 bears, this sleeve being interiorly provided with screw threads which engage screw threads formed exteriorly on the battery casing as shown at 26. When the sleeve is advanced to final position upon the casing, 1t rigidly clampsthe lens, reflector and miniature lamp in place.

Formed longitudinally in the inner wall of the batterycasing 12 is an oblong recess 27, this recess communicating at its upper end with an oblong recess 28 formed in the collar of the stick. An insulating element 29 is snugly fitted in the recess and is provided adjacent its middle portion with a pair of circular lateral extensions 30 which project into openings 31 and 81 formed in the side of the battery casing. Mounted upon the insulating element adjacent the miniature lamp is a resilient contact brush 32, the free end of this brush bearing upon the central pole of the lamp. Mounted upon the insulating element adjacent the battery carbon pole is a similar contact brush 33, the free end of which bears upon the. carbon pole. Embedded in the insulating element is a pair of conductor wires 34: and 35, one of the wires terminating at the axis of the lowest lateral extension 30 of the insulating element and being disposed in abutting contact with the stem 36 of a push button 27, this push button being countersunk in the before mentioned opening 31 formed in the battery casing side and abutting with its inner face the outer face of the insulating element extension when in depressed position. An axial rabbet 38 is formed in the insulating element extension and seats a helical spring 39 which bears against the push button and holds the latter in released position. The stem of the push button when the latter is in depressed position bears against the conducting-wire 35, and when the push button is inthis position a circult may be traced from the zinc pole of the battery, through the battery casing 12, metal parabolic reflector 17, lamp 19, contact brush 32, conductor wire 34, push button 36, and returning through the conductor wire 35, contact brush 33 to the carbon pole 21 of the battery. It is obvious that the lamp glows when the circuit is closed by the push button as above described. The rays from the glowing lamp are reflected in parallelism through the lens and form a powerful search-light which may be used to illuminate a path through a dark alley or the like.

Arranged at the tip of each umbrella rib is a miniature lamp 40, these lamps being of ordinary construction and being equipped with ordinary sockets 41 through which wires 42 and 42 project, these wires leading from the poles of the lamp through a suitable opening 43 formed in the umbrella stick and terminate at the lower -end of the stick adjacent the battery. The terminal of the wire 42 is secured to the metal stick and the terminal of the mating wire is secured to the terminal of a conductor wire 44 which is embedded in the insulating element and terminates at the axis of the upper insulating element extension 30. A spring pressed push button 45 similar in construction to the push button above described is mounted axially in said extension and engages with its stem the terminal of the wire 44 when depressed. The above described wire 35 is led through the insulating element up to and'engages with its terminal the stem of the push button 45 as shown at 46. When the push button 45 is depressed, a circuit maybe traced from the zinc pole of the battery to the umbrella stick 10, conductor wire 42, lamp 40, and returning through the conductor wires 42' and 44, push button 45, wire 35, contact brush 33 to the carbon pole 21 of the battery. It is obvious when the circuit is thus closed by the push button that the lamps at the tips of the umbrella ribs will glow and that they will glow independently of the searchlight at the end of the umbrella handle. It is obvious since the ribs and umbrella stick are in the circuit of the zinc pole of the battery that but one wire may be usedin connection with each of the lamps at the tips of the umbrella ribs since one of the lamp poles may be connected direct to each umbrella rib and thus the cost of wiring the umbrella reduced.

Threaded into the tip of the umbrella stick is a porcelain or similar socket 47, this socket bein of the ordinary kind and adapted to 1101 a miniature incandescent lamp48and further being provided with conductor wires 49 which lead from the poles of the lamp to the wires 42 and 42' above described. It is now clear that when the push button 45 is depressed to close the circuit, the incandescent lamp at the umbrella stick tip will glow simultaneously with the lamps at the rib tips.

What is claimed is:

The combination with an umbrella including a tubular stick, of a battery cell removably mounted in said stick, an insulating strip interposed in a recess in the inner wall of the stick and engaging said battery cell, said strip being provided with an opening registering with an opening formed in the stick, a push button mounted in said opening, and an electric circuit including lights mounted on the umbrella and having one terminal secured to the push button and its other terminal extending across the opening in the insulating strip and engageable by the push button when the latter is forced inwardly. In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK W. SMITHING. Witnesses:

MAURICE P. MoGANNA, JOHN Jones. 

